It has grown on me!: 2020

Monday, December 28, 2020

Review : Hilton Osaka Breakfast Buffet - Folk Kitchen

Folk Kitchen (Hilton Osaka)

As I mentioned in my previous entry, Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Osaka - Osaka, Japan, my husband and I visited Osaka last winter, and we stayed in Hilton Osaka for two nights. While we were staying in the hotel, we had breakfast at Folk Kitchen, located on the second floor in Hilton Osaka.

Folk Kitchen

2nd Floor

Hilton Osaka

1-8-8 Umeda

Kita Ward, Osaka City

Osaka 530-0001

Japan

Breakfast Buffet
Monday through Friday : 6:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday : 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Folk Kitchen (Hilton Osaka)

Their breakfast buffet usually costs 3,000 yen per person. If you have Hilton Gold Status or Hilton Diamond Status, you can have complimentary breakfast while you are staying in Hilton Osaka. We were able to have 12,000 yen value breakfast (3,000yen x two people x two days) for free because he had Hilton Diamond Status.

Folk Kitchen Buffet Prices

Folk Kitchen Breakfast Buffet includes 40 kinds of foods and 20 kinds of drinks.

Folk Kitchen (Hilton Osaka)

At first, we were asked about drink (coffee or tea). Then, we went to the buffet area to take foods.

Bread, Pastry, Donuts and Muffins

They had many kinds of bread, donuts, muffins and etc.

Hot Meals

There were many hot meals you can choose from.

Dim Sum

Chirashizushi, Tamago Tofu, Onsen Tamago and Yu tofu

There was chirashizushi (ちらし寿司), a big bowl of vinegared rice mixed with fish, vegetables, egg, nori and additional ingredients. There were some tofu menu such as tamago tofu (玉子豆腐) and yu tofu (湯豆腐). Tamago tofu is made of egg (not soybeans). Yu tofu (yu-dofu) is hot simmered tofu.

Miso Soup

There was miso soup. You can add wakame, fresh green onions or/and fu (麩), dried wheat gluten.

Fresh Salad, Marinated Okura with Bonito Flakes, Kinpira Gobo and Spinach with Sesame Sauce

I really loved kinpira gobo, which is stir-fried and simmered burdock roots and carrots with soy sauce, sugar and etc. When you are in Japan, you can find kinpira gobo in bento boxes at convinence stores, depachika and more places.

Fruit, Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Salami and Ham

Fresh Juice (Orange, Apple, Pineapple and Tomato )

I really love wa-shoku (和食), Japanese cuisine. We had a lot.

I really loved their chikuzenni.

On the second day, we had a lot of Japanese foods again. I loved Japanese radish pickles.

We also tried some of their pastry. The croissant was crispy outside and fluffy inside. I loved chestnut pastry.

Their breakfast buffet was very good. They had a large selection of foods. It was pretty crowded with many people, but always very clean and beautiful.

Executive Lounge Breakfast

Hilton Osaka has the Executive Lounge, which is located on the 3rd floor. If you stay in Executive room or Suite room, or if you have Hilton Honors Diamond Status, you can access to the Executive Lounge and enjoy complimentary foods and drinks during breakfast hour (6:45 a.m. through 10 a.m.). This time, we had breakfast at Folk Kitchen but visited Executive Lounge to check out of the hotel. If you have Hilton Honors Diamond Status, you can also check out at the Executive Lounge instead of the lobby.

When we arrived at Executive Lounge, it was still in breakfast hour. Obviously, Folk Kitchen was serving more foods than Executive Lounge was. While Folk Kitchen was very crowded, Executive Lounge wasn't crowded at all. If you love having breakfast in a quieter space, you might like Executive Lounge.

Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge

After checking out of the hotel, we enjoyed delicious cups of coffee there. We really enjoyed Hilton Osaka. When we have a chance to visit Osaka next time, we would like to stay in this hotel again.

These are my entries related to Hilton Osaka

■Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Osaka - Osaka, Japan

■Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Afternoon Tea

■Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Evening Cocktail

■Review : Hilton Osaka Fitness Center - Gym and Public Bath

■Review : Hilton Osaka Breakfast Buffet - Folk Kitchen

These are my entries you might like.

♥Hotel Room Tour and Review - Conrad Osaka - Osaka, Japan

♥What I Ate at Snack Park - Hanshin Umeda Department Store in Osaka, Japan

♥Hotel Room Tour and Review - Osaka Daiichi Hotel - Osaka, Japan

♥16 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan - Drugstore, Discount Store, Daiso and Amazon Japan

♥Japanese Snack and Candy Haul - What I Purchased in Japan

♥Japanese Grocery Haul - What I Purchased at Supermarket, Department Stores and Kitano Ace in Japan

♥10 Products I Purchased at Costco in Japan

♥Japanese Bread Haul - Shokupan, Melonpan, Anpan and More

♥7 Products I Purchased at Muji Store in Japan - Muji Haul

♥ Starbucks Japan Geography Series City Tumbler - Osaka

♥ Top 3 My Favorite Delicious Souvenirs from Osaka

♥Top 5 Breakfast Restaurants around Tenjinbashi in Osaka, Japan

♥ The Best Places to Eat in Tenjinbashi in Osaka

♥ Must Go to Places in Namba - Our Traveling in Osaka, Japan

♥10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

     My entries related to Osaka can be seen here.

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.

Friday, December 18, 2020

10 Best Sunscreens Won Beauty Awards in Japan This Year

I believe that applying sunscreen every morning is the most important skincare for everyone. In order to delay the skin aging process, sun protection is more important than using any expensive beauty serum. I've sometimes mentioned that Japanese sunscreens are the best in the world. Indeed, there are so many effective sunscreen products in Japan.

Last week, I found that @cosme, a huge Japanese cosmetic review site, finally released the best beauty awards of 2020. There are many beauty products loved by Japanese people this year. Today, I'm going to share with you 10 best Japanese sunscreens won the best sunscreen award on @cosme this year.

No. 1 &be UV Milk SPF50 PA++++ (アンドビー UV ミルク)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50 PA++++

30g for 1,800yen

116g for 2,800yen

Can be purchased at Shop-In in Japan

&be UV Milk SPF50 PA++++ (アンドビー UV ミルク) 30g

This &be UV Milk won the best sunscreen award on @cosme. This sunscreen is produced by Yusuke Kawakita (河北祐介), a very famous Japanese makeup artist. This sunscreen is currently hard to find even in Japan. You can find this sunscreen online or Shop-In branches in Japan.

&be UV Milk SPF50 PA++++ (アンドビーミルク) 116g

No. 2 Sofina iP UV Resister Rich Cream SPF50+ PA++++ (ソフィーナ iP UV レジストリッチクリーム)

Sunscreen for Face

SPF50+ PA++++

30g for 3,000yen

Can be purchased at some drugstores in Japan

Sofina iP UV Resister Rich Cream SPF50+ PA++++ (ソフィーナ iP UV レジストリッチクリーム)

This Sofina iP UV Resister Rich Cream is sunscreen + beauty serum. It protects your skin from UV ray and keeps your skin well hydrated.

Sofina iP UV Resister Rich Cream SPF50+ PA++++ (ソフィーナ iP UV レジストリッチクリーム)

This sunscreen won the best sunscreen award on @cosme this year. Indeed, it won many beauty awards on many sites in Japan such as Maquia, a famous Japanese beauty magazine, Amazon Japan and more.
　　

No. 3 Kao Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (ビオレUVアクアリッチウォータリーエッセンス)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50+ PA++++

50g for 950yen

Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

Kao Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (ビオレUVアクアリッチウォータリーエッセンス)

Kao Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is an affordable sunscreen you can find at most drugstores in Japan. It has won many beauty awards since it was released.

I wrote about this sunscreen in my previous entries.

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Awards in Japan

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens with SPF50+ PA++++

■Top 10 Japanese Beauty Products Loved by Foreign Tourists in Japan

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreen Products to Try This Summer

No. 4 Shiseido ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk SPF50 PA++++ (資生堂アネッサパーフェクトUVスキンケアミルク)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50+ PA++++

20ml for 1,200 yen

60ml for 3,000 yen

Can be purchased at most drugstores and department stores in Japan

Shiseido ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk SPF50 PA++++ (資生堂アネッサパーフェクトUVスキンケアミルク)

If you are really into Japanese sunscreens, you have probably heard of Anessa, a high-end sunscreen brand of Shiseido. If you go to beach or pool in summer but don't want to get a tan, I recommend you to try Shiseido Anessa. You will never get a tan with wearing Anessa. Shiseido has been always trying to improve their popular Anessa sunscreens and has released its new version every one or two years. Anessa always won many beauty awards in Japan.

I wrote about this sunscreen in my previous entries.

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Awards in Japan

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens with SPF50+ PA++++

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreen Products to Try This Summer

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Award This Year

No. 5 Rohto Skin Aqua Tone Up Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (ロートスキンアクアトーンアップエッセンス)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50+ PA++++

80g for 740yen

Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

Rohto Skin Aqua Tone Up Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (ロートスキンアクアトーンアップエッセンス)

Rohto, a Japanese company also making popular Hadalabo series and Roht Lycee, released Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence in 2018, and this sunscreen won the best sunscreen award of 2018, 2019 and 2020 on @cosme.

I wrote about this sunscreen in my previous entry.

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Awards in Japan

No. 6 Kao Biore UV Athlizm Skin Protect Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (ビオレ UV アスリズムスキンプロテクトエッセンス)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50+ PA++++

70g for 1,600yen

Can be purchased at some drugstores in Japan

Kao Biore UV Athlizm Skin Protect Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (ビオレ UV アスリズムスキンプロテクトエッセンス)

Japanese Biore has many sunscreen brands, Athlizm, Aqua Rich, Sarasara, Kids and Barrier Me. This Biore UV Athlizm is super-waterproof and is perfect for people who love outdoor activities and still never want to get a tan.

No. 7 Shiseido ANESSA Perfect UV Skincare Gel SPF50+ PA++++ (資生堂アネッサパーフェクトUV スキンケアジェル)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50+ PA++++

32g for 1,200 yen

90g for 2,400 yen

Can be purchased at most drugstores and department stores in Japan

Shiseido ANESSA Perfect UV Skincare Gel SPF50+ PA++++ (資生堂アネッサパーフェクトUV スキンケアジェル)

This Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Skincare Gel also won the best sunscreen award of 2020 on @cosme. This is very light and protects skin from UV ray as well as other Anessa sunscreens.

No. 8 Pola B.A Light Selector (ポーラ B.A ライトセレクター)

Sunscreen for Face

SPF50+ PA++++

45g for 11,000 yen

Can be purchased at department stores in Japan

Pola B.A Light Selector (ポーラ B.A ライトセレクター)

Pola B.A Light Selector is a high-end sunscreen. It was released in March this year and has won many beauty awards already such as on Biteki beauty magazine. If you love fancy skincare product, you will love this sunscreen. Pola products can be purchased at Pola branches located in most department stores in Japan.

No. 9 Albion Super UV Cut Intensive Day Cream SPF50+ PA++++ (アルビオンスーパーUVカットインテンシブデイクリーム)

Sunscreen for Face

SPF50+ PA++++

50g for 10,000 yen

Can be purchased at department stores in Japan

Albion Super UV Cut Intensive Day Cream SPF50+ PA++++ (アルビオンスーパーUVカットインテンシブデイクリーム)

Albion Super UV Cut Intensive Day Cream is also a high-end sunscreen product. This is sunscreen + anti-aging beauty cream. This protects your skin from UV ray and hydrates your skin at the same time. This is perfect for mature skin.

No. 10 Kanebo Allie Extra UV Gel SPF50+ PA++++ (カネボウアリーエクストラUVジェル)

Sunscreen for Face and Body

SPF50+ PA++++

40g for 1,050 yen

90g for 2,100 yen

Can be purchased at most drugstores in Japan

Kanebo Allie Extra UV Gel SPF50+ PA++++ (カネボウアリーエクストラUVジェル)Sunscreen for Face and Body

Kanebo Allie Extra UV Gel also won the best sunscreen award in Japan this year. I also really love Allie sunscreen and purchased this one in Japan. In my opinion, Kanebo Allie is a little cheaper than Shiseido Anessa, but it works as excellent as Anessa does. If you have never tried Allie sunscreen, I recommend you to try one. If you are in Japan, you can find Allie sunscreens at most drugstores.

I wrote about this sunscreen in my previous entries.

■16 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan - Drugstore, Discount Store, Daiso and Amazon Japan

■3 Best Japanese Sunscreens with SPF50+ PA++++

■Top 5 Japanese Sunscreen Products

     These are also my entries you might like.
♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Awards in Japan

♥16 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan - Drugstore, Discount Store, Daiso and Amazon Japan

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreens with SPF50+ PA++++

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Award This Year

♥Top 3 Japanese Powder Sunscreens

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreen Products to Try This Summer

♥3 Best Japanese Eye Creams Won Beauty Award This Year

♥3 Best Facial Sheet Masks Loved in Japan This Year

♥7 Most Popular Japanese Facial Cleansing Wipes for Removing Makeup

♥7 Best Japanese Beauty Products Hall of Fame

♥Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products

♥Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Charcoal Soap

♥5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui

♥The Most Popular Facial Sheet Masks in Japan

♥4 Reasons Why I Love Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil

♥10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Review : Hilton Osaka Fitness Center - Gym and Public Bath

Hilton Osaka Fitness Center

If you are staying in Hilton Osaka, you can access to their fitness center (fitness gym, pool, and public bath) for free. If you are a special member of Hilton Osaka Fitness Center, you can access to the fitness center without staying in Hilton Osaka. However, a special member fee is 385,000 yen (about $3,850), and the annual fee is 297,000 yen (about $2,970). If you are just a visitor who must be accompanied by a guest, you can use the fitness center for 5,500 yen per day.

Fitness Center (7th Floor)

Fitness Area Hours
・Fitness Gym : 24 hours
・Pool and Public Bath : 6:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Gym Area

Hilton Osaka Gym Area (Photo by Hilton Osaka)

The gym area looked a bit old and had some exercise equipment. We went to the gym area at 7:30 a.m. When we arrived there, there were already six people working out. Hilton Osaka's gym area is not very spacious compared to Conrad Osaka, so I felt like it was crowded with eight people (including us).

I was able to work out on this cross trainer. While the gym area was crowded, the pool area was empty of people. We didn't go to the pool area this time though.

Public Bath & Sauna

After working out at the gym area, I went to the public bath. The public bath areas are separated by gender. As you might know, you cannot wear swimsuit in a public bath in Japan. Did you know that most Japanese people love taking a bath at night rather than in the morning? Because it was morning, there wasn't crowded at all. I saw only a few Japanese people there. There were shampoo, conditioner and body soap in the public bath area, and there were skincare products and hair dryer in the powder room/ dressing room. They also had a sauna room, but I didn't use it this time.

Resting Room

Resting Room

The resting room was located next to the locker room. There were some reclining chairs and expensive drinks in mini refrigerator. The water bottle was 400 yen (about $4), and small can of tea was 300 yen (about $3).

Expensive Drinks

After that, we went to Folk Kitchen, a restaurant located in Hilton Osaka, to have breakfast. I'll write about it next time.

These are my entries related to Hilton Osaka

■Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Osaka - Osaka, Japan

■Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Afternoon Tea

■Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Evening Cocktail

■Review : Hilton Osaka Fitness Center - Gym and Public Bath

■Review : Hilton Osaka Breakfast Buffet - Folk Kitchen

These are my entries you might like.

♥Hotel Room Tour and Review - Conrad Osaka - Osaka, Japan

Friday, December 11, 2020

Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Evening Cocktail

Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Evening Cocktail

As I mentioned in my previous entry, Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Osaka - Osaka, Japan, my husband and I visited Osaka last winter, and we stayed in Hilton Osaka for two nights. While we were staying in this hotel, we visited their executive lounge during Afternoon Tea hour. We also visited there during Evening Cocktail hour, 5:30 p.m. through 7:30 p.m.

We could access to the Executive Lounge because he had Hilton Honors Diamond Status.

*Due to Coronavirus, the lounge operations may have been changed.

Executive Lounge (3rd Floor)

Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge

■Executive Lounge Hours （6:45 a.m. through 9 p.m.）

・Breakfast 6:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

・Afternoon Tea 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

・Evening Cocktail 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge

The Evening Cocktail Hour Was Very Busy.

This time, we stayed in Hilton Osaka for two nights, so we went there during Evening Cocktail hour two days in a row. It was pretty crowded on both days. On the second day, we went there at 6 p.m., and we were told that all tables were full and they would let us know when they had a table available. That's why we had to wait in our room. When they called us, it was already 7 p.m. We arrived at Executive Lounge at 7:10 p.m., so we had only 20 minutes until Evening Cocktail hour would end. However, they constantly refilled foods until the very last minute, so there were still plenty of foods we could choose from.

Chips, Nuts, Salsa and Etc

During Evening Cocktail hour, there were many snacks which go well with alcohol.

Fresh Vegetable Sticks

I really loved fresh vegetable sticks, bell peppers, Japanese radishes, cucumbers and carrots.

Meat Balls

The hot meals were very popular there. There were meat balls, takoyaki and samosa.

Cheese, Roast Beef and Seafood Cocktail

Pear & Praline Cream Tart, Yogurt Cupcake Pistachio Cream and Coffee Jelly with Hazelnut cream

All desserts looked so delicious.

Fresh Fruit, Souffle Cheesecake and Raspberry Pistachio Mousse

Wine

I don't usually drink alcohol, but I tried a little amount of sparkling wine, and it tasted so good!

Alcohol Drinks

Coffee and Tea

We ended up eating a lot! 😋

The vegetable sticks were very fresh! By the way, they also had some kinds of bread.

On the second day, we enjoyed takoyaki, cheese and etc. When you go to Osaka, you really should try takoyaki, which is Osaka's local food. This time, I had takoyaki at Hilton Osaka and Conrad Osaka, but you can find famous takoyaki stores, which are Kogaryu (甲賀流), Wanaka (わなか) and etc, in Osaka city. Actually, there are so many great takoyaki stores in Osaka.

Next morning, we went to Hilton Osaka fitness center (gym and public bath). I will write about it next time.

These are my entries related to Hilton Osaka

■Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Osaka - Osaka, Japan

■Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Afternoon Tea

■Review : Hilton Osaka Executive Lounge - Evening Cocktail

■Review : Hilton Osaka Fitness Center - Gym and Public Bath

■Review : Hilton Osaka Breakfast Buffet - Folk Kitchen

These are my entries you might like.

♥Hotel Room Tour and Review - Conrad Osaka - Osaka, Japan